Tuning-peg for stringed instruments



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

G. A. KNOWLES. TUNING PEG FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.-

Patented Aug Fig. 4-.

Flq. 3.

Fig. 2.

FIG.

Fig. IO.

PNVENTOR.

WITNESSES.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.

G. A. KNOWLES. TUNING PEG FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

Patented Aug. 20,1895.

FIG.

INVENTOR.

WITNESSES.

ATT'Y.

Nrrn STATES PATENT @rrien- GEORGE A. KNOWLES, OF SOUTH ATTLEBOROUGH,MASSACHUSETTS.

TUNING-PEG FOR s 'rm NG ED INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,812, dated August20, 1895.

Application filed March 25, 1895.

To all whom iv may concern:v

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. KNOWLES, a citizen of the United States,residing at South Attleborough, .in the county of Bristol and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTuning-Pegs for Stringed Instruments; and I do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in stringed musical instrumentssuchas the violin, the banjo, and similar instruments-in which the tensionof the strings is regulated by a key fitting tightly in the neck of theinstrument and held in place by friction. It is well known that in thekeys in common use the containing-hole becomes enlarged by the repeatedturning of the key therein, thus causing the key to slip and the stringsto loosen. The purpose of my invention is to provide a key that may beadjusted to the wear of the containing-hole, and that may always be madeto fit tightly therein, no matter how much (within reasonable limits)the hole becomes enlarged. I accomplish this purpose by the device shownin the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view ofthe key complete and the neck of the containing-instrument; and Figs. 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, details of the same, to be describedhereinafter.

The same parts are referred to by the same letters throughout.

In Fig. 1, T is the neck of the instrument; A, the thumb-piece of thekey; N M, the stringholder, flanged, as shown, and the key is shownready to be turned in the same manner as a solid Wooden or ivory key.

Fig. 2 is the string-holder, partly broken away, showing the flange Mand the cylindrical hole L, threaded interiorly, so as to form a nut, asshown. On each side of the hole L is the longitudinal slot K, openinginto the hole L and extending nearly the entire depth of L, as shown inFig. 2.

Figs. 4. and 5 are respectively an end and side view of the hell orcone-shaped device Serial No. 543,005- (No model.)

for taking up the wear in the neck of the instrument. J J are pieces ofmetal rigidly fixed to the bell, and so made as to easily fit the slotsK in Figs. 2 and 3. The interior of the bellI is hexagonal in section,as seen by the dotted lines I in Fig. 4. The prongs J J serve tocommunicate motion to the stringholder M, Fig. 2, when the key isturned.

Figs. 9 and 10 are respectively a side and end view of the thumb-piece AB, which is made hollow, and the end B is hexagonal and made to fiteasily into the hexagonal interior of the bell P.

Fig. 6 is a hollow hexagonal tube sliding in B of Fig. 9, andterminating in a screw 0, which fits the threaded hole in thestringholder, Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a cross-section of Fig. 6, and E in both figures is a pinfixed at the inner end of F to limit its motion, as will be shownhereinafter. I

Fig. 8 is a wire, slotted as seen at D, the slot limiting the throw of Fin the thumbpiece A B. O D is fixed to the thumb-piece, as seen at X,Fig. 1, by solder or some equivalent method at one end and at the otherby the pin H. (Seen in Figs. 9 and 10.)

111 the interior of the inner hexagonal tub F, Fig. 6, is a spiralspring surrounding the pin 0 D, Fig. 8, and seen in position in Fig. 1.This spring is retained by the pins E and H, Figs. 9 and 6.

Gin Fig. 6 is aslot in the side of the tube F, in which the pin H slidesfreely with the movement of the thumb-piece on the tube F.

Fig. 11 shows a sectional view of the entire device with the thumb-piecewithdrawn or disengaged from the cone-shaped member, so that the tube F,and consequently the cone shaped member P, may be brought nearer to orseparated farther from the string-holder M by the turning of thescrewthrough the medium of the thumb-piece.

Fig. 12 is a cross-section of Fig. 1 on the line m 00, showing the hellor cone-shaped member P with its hexagonal interior I, the end B of thethumb-piece fitting closely therein and itself in turn closelyenveloping the hexagonal tube F.

My device operates in the following man- I ner: The tube F is retainedin the thumbpiece A B by means of the spiral spring S,

compressed between the pins E and H. The bell-piece P slips over B,leaving the screw 0 projecting out between the prongs J J. Thestring-holder M is now inserted into the neck of the instrument upon oneside and the bell P is inserted into the opposite sideof the neck, andthe thumb-piece A B follows until 0 engages with the string-holder andthe prongs J enter the slots K. When this takes place, the whole keybecomes one rigid piece, the same as if made from solid material, andthe string is brought to the required tension. Let us now suppose thatthe hole in the neck of the instrument becomes so worn that the keyslips under the tension of the string. Evidently, now, if we can bringthe bell P nearer the flanged string-holder M we can overcome the wearand the key will again be gripped by theneck of the instrument. It, now,we take hold of the thumb-piece, as shown in Fig. 1, and draw itoutwardly away from the neck of the instrument, we disengage it from thehell or cone-shaped piece P, while the inner tube E F is still engagedby the surrounding neck B of the thumb-piece. It is exceedinglyimportant to note that the inner tube E F is of such a size that it willrotate easily within the cone-shaped piece P without touching the sidesof the latter.v Accordingly when the neck of the thumb-piece isdisengaged from P the said neck still engages the inner tube E F, andthe rotation of the thumb-piece will cause the screw to ad- Vance, thusbringing the cone-shaped piece P and the flanged string-holder nearertogether, and thus securing the desired tightness of the key in the neckof the instrument. WVhen the thumb-piece is released, the spring Sbrings it back until it engages with P and the key again becomes onerigid piece. By reversing the direction of rotation the key may beloosened or removed or adjusted to an instrument of any size. As abovestated, the tube E F,

the neck B, and the interior I of the coneshaped piece P are ofhexagonal cross-section; but any other form of cross-section will answerequally well, provided the introduction of 13 between P and E F willcause B to engage both the other members at once, so that the rotationof the thumb-piece will cause the rotation of the entire key and theremoval of the intermediate neck 13 will permit the independent rotationof E F within P.

Having now described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Pat-- ent, is-

1. In a key for musical instruments, an interiorly threaded, flanged,string holder, having the slots K; a perforated cone-shaped member,hollow within, and having an interior polygonal cross section, andprojecting prongs fitting the slots K; a screw passing through said coneshaped member and engaging with the threaded string holder, said screwterminating in a tube having a cross section of the same shape as theinterior of said cone shaped member but enough smaller to rotate freelytherein; and a hollow thumb-piece having a neck B of the same shape incross sec tion as said tube, and of such size thatit will slide upon andengage said tube and at the same time slide into and be engaged by saidcone shaped member, all substantially as described.

2. In a key for musical instruments, a flanged,interiorly threaded andslotted string holder; a cone shaped member having prongs fitting saidslots; a connecting screw terminating in a tube of polygonal crosssection; a hollow thumb piece adapted to slide into said cone shapedmember, and upon said tube so as to engage both at the same time; andcapable also of becoming disengaged from said cone shaped member withoutbecoming disengaged from said tube; a spiral spring within said tubesecuring the normal engagement of said tube with said thumb-piece andsaid cone shaped member; and a slotted guide spindle surrounded by saidspring, and limiting the movement of the thumb piece upon the tubeaforesaid, all for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. KNOWLES. Witnesses:

EDWARD AINSW'ORTH, E. D. ANTHONY.

